--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The clarification of our political ideas…" description: "\"The clarification of our political ideas insensibly changes into and becomes indistinguishable from the history of political ideas.\" — Leo Strauss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/leo-strauss-12446_clarification_the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas_2362255.jpg" --- # The clarification of our political ideas insensibly… ![“The clarification of our political ideas insensibly changes into and becomes indistinguishable from the history of political ideas.” quote by Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/leo-strauss-12446_clarification_the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas_2362255.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/leo-strauss-12446_clarification_the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas_2362255.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/leo-strauss-12446_clarification_the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas_2362255.jpg) > “The clarification of our political ideas insensibly changes into and becomes indistinguishable from the history of political ideas.” [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political ideas evolve and become indistinguishable from their historical narratives. **In simple terms:** Ideas merge with history over time. Key Takeaway Recognize how history shapes current politics. Themes politics history ideas Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical academic When to use this quote - policy analysis - academic research - public discourse Key Concepts philosophy historical determinism Questions to Reflect On - How does history limit political innovation? - Can we separate ideas from their origins? A Different Perspective Ideas may be constrained by past narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Changes Indistinguishable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changes-indistinguishable-5788454/) [Clarification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarification/) [Clarification Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarification-political-5788453/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Indistinguishable History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indistinguishable-history-5788451/) [Insensibly Changes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insensibly-changes-5788452/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-ideas-581441/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [What we are against is the teaching of contested political ideas as if they are accepted facts. We don't do this with communism. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-badenoch/what-we-are-against-is-the-teaching-of-contested-political-ideas-as/) [Kemi Badenoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-badenoch/) > [There were no political ideas. It was an apolitical time. It was the '50s and in the privilege of the suburbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/there-were-no-political-ideas-it-was-an-apolitical-time-it-was-the/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [A war not only arises, but derives its nature , from the political ideas, the moral sentiments, and the international relations obtaining at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-foch/a-war-not-only-arises-but-derives-its-nature-from-the-political-ideas/) [Ferdinand Foch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-foch/) > [A large percentage of those living in developed societies are told what brand of soda they should drink, what cigarettes they should smoke, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fidel-castro/a-large-percentage-of-those-living-in-developed-societies-are-told/) [Fidel Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fidel-castro/) > [“An idea is a very powerful thing, and political ideas or religious ideas or economic ideas have always affected and often controlled the courses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-wylie/an-idea-is-a-very-powerful-thing-and-political-ideas-or-religious/) [J.C. Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-wylie/) > [It didn't even occur to me that I could use my strong image in cinema to propagate my political ideas. To me, cinema was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijayashanti/it-didn-t-even-occur-to-me-that-i-could-use-my-strong-image-in-cinema/) [Vijayashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijayashanti/) > [“Religious ideas, supposedly private matters between man and god, are in practice always political ideas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religious-ideas-supposedly-private-matters-between-man-and-god-are-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“the ethical and political ideas of Locke, Rousseau and Jefferson. However, once the heretical scientific insights are translated into everyday technology, routine activities and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-ethical-and-political-ideas-of-locke-rousseau-and-jefferson/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [All my economic ideas as developed over twenty-five years can be summed up in the words: agricultural-industrial federation. All my political ideas boil down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/all-my-economic-ideas-as-developed-over-twenty-five-years-can-be/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [This is the marketplace of political ideas. This is how America operates. It's a free market. It's free-wheeling. From the outside, it looks unpredictable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/this-is-the-marketplace-of-political-ideas-this-is-how-america/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [ “Some of his \[Chester Bowles's\] friends thought that his entire political career reflected his background, that he truly believed in the idea of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-halberstam/some-of-his-chester-bowles-s-friends-thought-that-his-entire/) [David Halberstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-halberstam/) > [There is no connection between the political ideas of our educated class and the deep places of the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-trilling/there-is-no-connection-between-the-political-ideas-of-our-educated/) [Lionel Trilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-trilling/) > [I make songs based around my political ideas because they're a big part of life; politics affects my life, politics affects my friends and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-mckenna/i-make-songs-based-around-my-political-ideas-because-they-re-a-big/) [Declan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-mckenna/) > [What's the use, there never was a woman living who could understand political ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dos-passos/what-s-the-use-there-never-was-a-woman-living-who-could-understand/) [John Dos Passos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dos-passos/) > [There is only one art, whose sole criterion is the power, the authenticity, the revelatory insight, the courage and suggestiveness with which it seeks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/there-is-only-one-art-whose-sole-criterion-is-the-power-the/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) ## More by Leo Strauss > [A conservative, I take it, is a man who despises vulgarity; but the argument which is concerned exclusively with calculations of success, and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/a-conservative-i-take-it-is-a-man-who-despises-vulgarity-but-the/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [Men are constantly attracted and deluded by two opposite charms: the charm of competence which is engendered by mathematics and everything akin to mathematics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/men-are-constantly-attracted-and-deluded-by-two-opposite-charms-the/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [“But what is the core of the political? Men killing men on the largest scale in broad daylight and with the greatest serenity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/but-what-is-the-core-of-the-political-men-killing-men-on-the-largest/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [“Todo ser humano y toda sociedad es lo que es en virtud de su máxima aspiración. La ciudad, si es sana, aspira no a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/todo-ser-humano-y-toda-sociedad-es-lo-que-es-en-virtud-de-su-m-xima/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [“Only a great fool would call the new political science diabolic: it has no attributes peculiar to fallen angels. It is not even Machiavellian,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/only-a-great-fool-would-call-the-new-political-science-diabolic-it/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [We somehow believe that our point of view is superior, higher than those of the greatest minds either because our point of view is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/we-somehow-believe-that-our-point-of-view-is-superior-higher-than/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [ The emancipation of the scholars and scientists from philosophy is according to \[Nietzsche\] only a part of the democratic movement, i.e. of the emancipation… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-emancipation-of-the-scholars-and-scientists-from-philosophy-is/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [The most superficial fact regarding the 'Discourses,' the fact that the number of its chapters equals the number of books of Livy's 'History,' compelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-most-superficial-fact-regarding-the-discourses-the-fact-that-the/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [If the highest things are unknowable, then the highest capacity or virtue of man cannot be theoretical wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/if-the-highest-things-are-unknowable-then-the-highest-capacity-or/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [History teaches us that a given view has been abandoned in favor of another by all men, or by all competent men, or perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/history-teaches-us-that-a-given-view-has-been-abandoned-in-favor-of/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [No bloody or unbloody change of society can eradicate the evil in man: as long as there will be men, there will be malice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/no-bloody-or-unbloody-change-of-society-can-eradicate-the-evil-in-man/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [Liberal education, which consists in the constant intercourse with the greatest minds, is a training in the highest form of modesty. ... It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/liberal-education-which-consists-in-the-constant-intercourse-with-the/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [Education to perfect gentlemanship, to human excellence, liberal education consists in reminding oneself of human excellence, of human greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/education-to-perfect-gentlemanship-to-human-excellence-liberal/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [The contemporary rejection of natural right leads to nihilism — nay, it is identical with nihilism,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-contemporary-rejection-of-natural-right-leads-to-nihilism-nay-it/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) > [When speaking of a "body of knowledge" or of "the results of research," e.g., we tacitly assign the same cognitive status to inherited knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/when-speaking-of-a-body-of-knowledge-or-of-the-results-of-research-e/) [Leo Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) [Explore all 55 Leo Strauss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/) ## More Clarification quotes > [“Payne sought clarification. “Vertical or horizontal?” “Horizontal, of course.” “Sorry but I can’t help you.” “Will you pipe down for a minute? Naturally she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lynskey/payne-sought-clarification-vertical-or-horizontal-horizontal-of/) [Ed Lynskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lynskey/) > [If there is something I don't know and I suspect that I need clarification and so does the viewer, I just ask for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harris-faulkner/if-there-is-something-i-don-t-know-and-i-suspect-that-i-need/) [Harris Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harris-faulkner/) > [“If you have feelings for someone, let them know. It doesn’t matter if they can be in your life or not. Maybe, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-you-have-feelings-for-someone-let-them-know-it-doesn-t-matter-if/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“An extraordinary claim requires extraordinary proof. ('On the Extraordinary: An Attempt at Clarification", Zetetic Scholar, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 11, 1978)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcello-truzzi/an-extraordinary-claim-requires-extraordinary-proof-on-the/) [Marcello Truzzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcello-truzzi/) > [“QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION What do you mean by…? What is your main point? How does \_\_\_\_\_\_ relate to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_? Could you put that another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brock/questions-for-clarification-what-do-you-mean-by-what-is-your-main/) [David Brock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brock/) > [“Hey—let’s get something straight. It’s a vampire/alien/zombie/warlock hybrid flick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/hey-let-s-get-something-straight-it-s-a-vampire-alien-zombie-warlock/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [Philosophy aims at the logical clarification of thoughts. Philosophy is not a body of doctrine but an activity. A philosophical work consists essentially of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/philosophy-aims-at-the-logical-clarification-of-thoughts-philosophy/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [One of the main tasks of adolescence is to achieve an identity--not necessarily a knowledge of who we are, but a clarification ofthe range…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-main-tasks-of-adolescence-is-to-achieve-an-identity-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Since only an individual man can possess rights, the expression "individual rights"? is a redundancy (which one has to use for purposes of clarification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/since-only-an-individual-man-can-possess-rights-the-expression/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [This is reverent. This is Star Wars, damn it. You don't screw around with it. The things that were improv'd or added that developed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-tudyk/this-is-reverent-this-is-star-wars-damn-it-you-don-t-screw-around/) [Alan Tudyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-tudyk/) > [The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom... in a clarification of life - not necessarily a great clarification,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/the-figure-a-poem-makes-it-begins-in-delight-and-ends-in-wisdom-in-a/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [“Any expectation always needs to be clarified in detail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/any-expectation-always-needs-to-be-clarified-in-detail/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [Choice of aim is clearly a matter of clarification of values, especially on the choice between possible options.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/choice-of-aim-is-clearly-a-matter-of-clarification-of-values/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [“I rather be a stupid person wanting clarification and answers, in order to be wiser, than be a stupid person that blindly believes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-rather-be-a-stupid-person-wanting-clarification-and-answers-in/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Our ability to make a decision about the declaration is hampered by the British government being reluctant to give us the clarification which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/our-ability-to-make-a-decision-about-the-declaration-is-hampered-by/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) [Browse all 53 Clarification quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarification/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The clarification of our political ideas insensibly changes into and becomes indistinguishable from the history of political ideas.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leo Strauss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas-insensibly-changes-into-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clarification" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas-insensibly-changes-into-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/leo-strauss-12446_clarification_the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas_2362255.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/leo-strauss-12446_clarification_the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas_2362255.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/397/leo-strauss-12446_clarification_the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas_2362255.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The clarification of our political ideas insensibly changes into and becomes indistinguishable from the…” — Leo Strauss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leo Strauss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-strauss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The clarification of our political ideas...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas-insensibly-changes-into-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-strauss/the-clarification-of-our-political-ideas-insensibly-changes-into-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```